"Deadliest Catch" Boats and Captains
In 2008, The Discovery Channel began airing the fourth season of "Deadliest Catch" featuring the following boats and captains:
F/V Cornelia Marie: Captain Phil Harris -- Harris brings 30 years of fishing experience to the captain's chair of his 128-foot (39 meters) boat that's been featured in all four seasons. One job perk is that he gets to work with his two sons, Josh and Jake, both deckhands. Harris has been the co-owner of the Cornelia Marie for 17 years and is a tough, grizzled veteran of the sea. He lives in Seattle in the off-season and enjoys riding his Harley and building custom-made bird houses.
F/V Northwestern: Captain Sig Hansen -- The Northwestern is owned by the Hansen family. Sig is the captain, his brothers Edgar and Norman work as deck boss and deckhand, respectively. The Northwestern has grown in size over the years to accommodate the increased loads boats are allowed. She was originally 108 feet long (32 meters) with a 156-pot capacity, but now sits at 125 feet (38 meters), and can carry the maximum 250-pot load. The Northwestern has also been in all four seasons of "The Deadliest Catch."
F/V Time Bandit: Captains Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand -- The brothers Hillstrand are arguably the liveliest and funniest captains on "The Deadliest Catch." They split duties over the two seasons -- John takes the helm for king crab; Andy handles opilio. Brother Neal works aboard the Time Bandit as engineer, cook and relief captain. John's son Scott also works onboard as a deckhand. The boat was custom-built by the brothers from their father's design and boasts some amenities not often found on crab boats -- queen-sized beds, staterooms and a sauna. The Time Bandit has been featured all four seasons.
F/V Wizard: Captain Keith Colburn -- The Wizard didn't start out as a fishing vessel. She was originally a U.S. Navy ship in World War II, but was converted to a crab fishing boat in 1978. Colburn started as a deckhand in 1988 and worked his way up to captain in six short years. In 2005 he was able to buy the Wizard from its owners. Colburn works alongside his brother Monte, who serves as deckhand and relief skipper. The Wizard has appeared on seasons three and four.
F/V North American: Captain Sten Skaar -- Like most crab boating captains, Skaar was born into the industry. He debuted in season four alongside his brother John, the boat's engineer. The 110-foot (33 meters) boat can carry 100 pots, making her one of the smaller boats featured on the show. One thing that sets the North American apart is that she's a "green" vessel. Skaar cut her carbon footprint in half by employing the Gen-Tech engine system, which helps reduce fuel consumption and emissions.
F/V Early Dawn: Captain Rick Fehst -- A 25-year veteran of the Bering Sea, Fehst got his first crack at the captain's chair after only three years as a deckhand. He alternated his duties over the years, working as captain, deckhand and deck boss on various boats. The Early Dawn started on the show in season three, but Fehst made his debut as captain in season four after serving as deck boss. The Early Dawn is 110 feet long (33 meters) and even though she can carry 125 pots, she only hauls 110.
Drop those pots in a honey hole and click forward to learn how these men go about catching crabs.
